Online information services (e.g., DIALOG, ORBIT) and computer databases (e.g., Social Sciences Citation Index, Historical Abstracts) that historians can use in their historical research are discussed. The important differences among representative databases are described. (RM)

A poll of historians on their views about the nature of history, definitions of ideology, war causation, international relations, and U.S. foreign and military policy showed that all historians think in ideological patterns. However, no meaningful correlations were found between specific ideologies and specific historical theories. (RM)

Discusses problems with military documentation during the Vietnam War. Reports poor record keeping practices, destruction of permanent files, and mislabeled and missing records. Describes the National Archives' Vietnam project that organized and preserved the remaining military records. Concludes that the Vietnam War was better documented than the…

Presents a discussion of the documentation of and access to interviews for historical research purposes. Examines problems of documentation, transcription, permission, and storage. Presents questions of property, professional ethics, and witnesses. Argues for interview guidelines, training of researchers for interviewing, and taping of interviews.…

Discusses the treatment of Gypsies and the handicapped by Nazi Germany. Emphasizes that Gypsy populations were decimated in the same percentages as the Jews. Presents information and dates to show parallel developments of racial regulations against Jews, Gypsies, and the handicapped. Urges further research and historiography on the fate of Gypsies…

Describes the problem of absence of evidence in historiography. Discusses the limits this lack of evidence poses for comparative studies by sociologists. Identifies steps in which events or evidence may be missed or passed over. Includes nonoccurrence, no surviving evidence, unlocated evidence, failure to note evidence, inaccurate criticism of…

Sees the United Nations Decade for Women (1975-85) as a series of events with revolutionary significance. States conferences held during this period produced significant documents giving legal recognition and force of international law to reforms. Describes the struggles at the Nairobi (Kenya) conference of 1985. Includes a five page list of…

Follows development of Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Finds the agency monitored dissident activities and investigated outside its defined jurisdiction with presidential support. States J. Edgar Hoover expanded the FBI's information-gathering procedures beyond legal boundaries resulting in a powerful, autonomous agency that poisoned U.S.…

Describes a 5-day simulation workshop on the Cuban Missile Crisis developed for 60 secondary school students participating in the Indiana University summer gifted and talented program. Uses role playing and game situations to teach critical thinking. Finds these techniques effective in providing a sense of power and competence. (NL)

Describes the University of California (Irvine) one-year humanities core course as hermeneutically and contextually oriented. Explains course development, structure, and organization and provides the reading list. Students assignments include essays and a dialectical notebook. Provides a three-day fall seminar for the teaching staff. Finds course…

Relates history and process by which 12 historic wampum belts were turned over to representatives of Onondaga Nation (New York), one of six Indian tribal communities of Iroquois Confederacy. Describes history of belts from pre-Columbian times to modern times. Compliments both the New York State Board of Regent and leaders of the Onondaga Nation…

Reviews more than 24 books recently published on the topic of Christopher Columbus and the voyages of discovery. Classifies the books as those designed for student use, for teachers and scholars, biographies, and "Columbus-Bashers." Maintains that the different viewpoints of Columbus the hero and Columbus the villain are barriers for serious…

Supports research that says females develop a sense of empathy and justice that males do not. Argues that, as a result, women are better to understand and appreciate the multicultural composition of the United States. Suggests using oral histories and role playing to "interview" women on historical periods and topics. (CFR)

Describes the development of a college-level Chinese history course based on the biographies of notable Chinese. Suggests story telling to make history more understandable and authentic. Argues that narrative can provide an open window for the study of any society. (CFR)

Discusses a college level liberal arts educational program in Attica (NY) Prison. Maintains that the prisoner students work harder and complain less than traditional college students. Discusses techniques used in the prison that might be effective in regular college instruction. (CFR)